TAKE TWO_ Who says you can't ma - Heather M. Orgeron Page 0,16
She fought me tooth and nail on this before—with a little assistance from Hannah—finally giving in.
“Yes, and no.” I sit up taller, clearing the frog from my throat as I adjust my tie. “I mean, it probably would be for most couples, but this isn’t our first rodeo, doc.”
“So, you’ve had previous marriages and are what—wanting to be sure not to make the same mistakes again?”
A loud huff sounds beside me. “A little too late for that.”
“I’m sorry?” Curiosity has the smart-looking woman squirming in her seat eager for the details. “Care to elaborate?”
“I married him once… That was mistake numero uno.”
“I see.” But the confusion marring her face proves otherwise. I decide it’s best to just rip this Band-Aid right off. I’ve been given a limited timeframe to work with here. I need to make the most out of these sessions. No pussyfooting around.
“Then, oops.” I shrug. “She did it again.” Smoothing a hand down my chest, I shoot my adversary a flirty wink. “Still can’t resist me after all these years. That means something, right?”
“That is not why this happened.”
I open my mouth to argue, but the doc holds a finger up, silencing me. “Mrs. Watts, I’d like you to explain to me how you and your ex-husband, who is no longer your ex-husband if I’m following correctly, wound up married again…to each other.”
It damn near kills me to sit by quietly while she relays her version of the events which led us to where we are today. None of what she’s saying is untrue, but it’s definitely one sided. She’s here and she’s talking, so I bite my tongue and manage to only grumble a few times.
Dr. Tate sighs while jotting a whole lotta shit on that clipboard of hers. “I think it’s best if we go all the way back to the beginning.” She gnaws on the back of a pen, nodding to herself. “So, would you say things were going well before your husband purchased this club without your knowledge?”
There’s a moment’s hesitation before she nods. “It was pretty close to perfect, actually.”
“I’ve admitted I was wrong,” I blurt, unable to sit by and remain mute a moment longer. “More times than I can count. I was overeager and overconfident and incredibly inconsiderate of Nya’s feelings. But the money had already been invested. To let the club go would have meant us going bankrupt. Our future—our daughter’s future—were all relying on the success of this club. I didn’t feel it fair of her to give me that ultimatum.”
“Nya, don’t look at him. Look at me,” the doctor says, drawing her laser beams from the side of my face. “I want you to explain the ways in which your life was changed by this monumental decision.”
The way she punctuates the word monumental has me feeling really judged. She’s definitely leaning more toward Nya’s side at this point.
“Well, before… I—I had a partner. A best friend. We would play cards and watch sitcoms at night. We’d take turns feeding and rocking Ellie to sleep. We used to sit up together just to admire this incredible life we brought into the world…” She trails off, staring into space.
“Go on… you went from that to?”
“To nothing.” Her cheeks turn bright red. “I was a newlywed. A brand-new mother. I was sad and felt so abandoned. I was alone, while he,” she shouts, waving an arm in my direction, “was out at his fancy club, schmoozing it up with his best friend and customers.” She snorts, waving a dismissive hand in my direction. “Of course, Liam remembers things differently. He wasn’t around to see any of it happen.”
Fuck. My gut clenches at her words, as I’m reminded of how hurt and just how angry she was. I was stupid. So fucking stupid. I’d give anything to go back and change things, but I can’t.
“So, you gave him an ultimatum?” the therapist asks.
“I did.” She nods. “But only after he missed our daughter’s baptism for some plumbing issue at that damn place.”
The doctor sits quietly for a moment while my wife seethes beside me. I can practically feel the anger coming off of her in waves. “Okay, so…there are obviously some unresolved issues between the two of you.”
Nya harrumphs, to which she is rewarded with her own finger of silence. “Mr. Watts, I couldn’t help but to notice your expression as your wife caught me up on your situation. You still harbor some very strong feelings for her.”